Diamine Sapphire Blue: Should It Smell This Bad?

[Kugelschreiber]

I got a bottle of Diamine Sapphire Blue in the mail today. As soon as I opened it to ink a pen I noticed a strong and unpleasant odor, which I’d describe as a chemical smell or like a dank crawl space. The ink doesn’t have any SITB and the performance has been perfect so far.

 

I read all the reviews here and all the brief ones at the Goulet's site. No one mentioned a bad smell. And considering how strong the odor my bottle has, I would think at least a person or two would have mentioned it if they had the same experience.

 

It is easily the strongest and most unpleasant odor I’ve experienced from a bottle of ink (including many by Noodler’s).

 

Has anyone had a similar experience? Should I be concerned at all?

[fourseamer]

I don't have a strong sense of smell so I hadn't noticed it before, but my bottle has a pretty strong odor. No issues otherwise though. Such is the nature of some inks.

[searcher18]

My Sapphire Blue has a moderate acetone type smell but it is not unpleasant. My Woodland Green also from Diamine has almost no odor but my Diamine Poppy Red has the strongest smell of all. My Tsutsuji Iroshizuku just a suggestion of a smell but my Tsuki-yo is a little stronger but much less than the Sapphire Blue. I suspect that the smell is pigment related. Has anyone checked the oils on an artist`s pallette for smell?

[beejay]

Iver just opened my bottle of Sapphire Blue and like yours, it has that same smell.

Other Diamine inks Ive checked have different odours all of which are quite pleasant compared to the Sapphire.

I don't think there's anything untoward about it,,probably just due to something in the manufacturing process.

Lovely ink though!

beejay

[The Good Captain]

I can't find my Sapphire to try but the Violet I bought recently has something resembling that which you've described. A confirmation e-mail from Diamine said that it was perfectly normal and due to the dyes used in some of their ink.

I note with some anticipation that R&K Salix and Scabiosa have an aroma of a slightly 'corked' or 'off' claret or port. Wonderful!

[Kugelschreiber]

I'm glad to know that there is likely nothing uniquely bad about my bottle of SB. But I still remain surprised by how pungent the smell was when I first opened it. I mean the bottle was at least 18 inches from my nose and the smell was still really strong. Again, I don't recall that ever happening previously and even with various Noodler's inks.

 

 

I note with some anticipation that R&K Salix and Scabiosa have an aroma of a slightly 'corked' or 'off' claret or port. Wonderful!

 

I just took a sniff from my bottles of both and can confirm that they do indeed have that aroma!

[Scribble Monboddo]

I've particularly noticed this with Sapphire too; I thought I'd somehow managed to dangle an old dish-rag into the jar for a moment! But the flow seems to be healthier than some other Diamine blues, such as Sargasso Sea, so perhaps it's worth the minor olefactory alarm when refuelling (and it doesn't seem to be an issue once flowing from the nib). And, here it is in a Waterman Expert: http://scribbledemonboddo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/waterman-expert-m-nib-2012.html

Edited February 27, 2013 by Scribble Monboddo

[carlos.q]

I can't believe I just opened my bottle of Diamine Sapphire blue to smell the ink...

No... It doesn't smell bad.

[Kugelschreiber]

I've particularly noticed this with Sapphire too; I thought I'd somehow managed to dangle an old dish-rag into the jar for a moment! But the flow seems to be healthier than some other Diamine blues, such as Sargasso Sea, so perhaps it's worth the minor olefactory alarm when refuelling (and it doesn't seem to be an issue once flowing from the nib). And, here it is in a Waterman Expert: http://scribbledemonboddo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/waterman-expert-m-nib-2012.html

 

 

@old dish-rag.

 

As your writing sample illustrated, SB really is very lovely shade of blue. I've had flow issues with Sargasso Sea as well.

[Scribble Monboddo]

I've particularly noticed this with Sapphire too; I thought I'd somehow managed to dangle an old dish-rag into the jar for a moment! But the flow seems to be healthier than some other Diamine blues, such as Sargasso Sea, so perhaps it's worth the minor olefactory alarm when refuelling (and it doesn't seem to be an issue once flowing from the nib). And, here it is in a Waterman Expert: http://scribbledemonboddo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/waterman-expert-m-nib-2012.html

 

 

@old dish-rag.

 

As your writing sample illustrated, SB really is very lovely shade of blue. I've had flow issues with Sargasso Sea as well.

 

How very kind of you, Kugelschreiber! Thanks : ) I love the look of Sargasso Sea, but it really didn't seem to be happy in the Expert so I shall find a nice stub italic to try it in instead.

[brownargus]

I got a bottle of Diamine Sapphire Blue in the mail today. As soon as I opened it to ink a pen I noticed a strong and unpleasant odor, which I’d describe as a chemical smell or like a dank crawl space. The ink doesn’t have any SITB and the performance has been perfect so far.

 

I read all the reviews here and all the brief ones at the Goulet's site. No one mentioned a bad smell. And considering how strong the odor my bottle has, I would think at least a person or two would have mentioned it if they had the same experience.

 

It is easily the strongest and most unpleasant odor I’ve experienced from a bottle of ink (including many by Noodler’s).

 

Has anyone had a similar experience? Should I be concerned at all?

I have three bottles of Sapphire Blue of different ages . I hadn't noticed any smell before but I did smell them and I had to get very close to notice any smell. When I did, I found that the smells from each were quite different, the oldest (2 years) having the least smell. Diamine Imperial Blue and Royal Blue have a smell but no where near as strong.

[The Good Captain]

According to Diamine (I was on the phone to them a couple of days ago, about something totally unrelated to this), any smell from certain of their inks is due to the composition of the dyes used in that particular colour and varies accordingly.

I note that there are fewer comments about other inks that smell equally as 'interesting', from the residents of the countries where that particular ink is manufactured, than from users of that ink, who live somewhere else. And vice versa.

Is that comment 'politically correct' enough but with enough 'leading' to make the point?

[Kugelschreiber]

I have three bottles of Sapphire Blue of different ages . I hadn't noticed any smell before but I did smell them and I had to get very close to notice any smell. When I did, I found that the smells from each were quite different, the oldest (2 years) having the least smell. Diamine Imperial Blue and Royal Blue have a smell but no where near as strong.

 

Interesting.

 

I just noticed that my bottle of Imperial Purple has the same sort of smell as Sapphire Blue, but not nearly as strong. As has been pointed out many times, inks can vary from batch to batch; I guess that includes their smells. And perhaps my bottle of SB will lose some of its odor over time.

[Kugelschreiber]

According to Diamine (I was on the phone to them a couple of days ago, about something totally unrelated to this), any smell from certain of their inks is due to the composition of the dyes used in that particular colour and varies accordingly.

I note that there are fewer comments about other inks that smell equally as 'interesting', from the residents of the countries where that particular ink is manufactured, than from users of that ink, who live somewhere else. And vice versa.

 

 

Thank you for the information from Diamine. As for the bolded bit, :hmm1:.

[Andyroo]

I just filled a pen for the first time with this colour and immediately searched for 'diamine sapphire blue smell'.

 

I'm relieved that it ought to stink.

[Darqest]

i just ordered a bottle! does the ink smell on the page? or only from the bottle?

 

Kz

[Andyroo]

The smell goes when the ink dries, at least it seems like it to me.

 

I can smell it from the nib of the pen quite clearly though.

[SeeksAdvice]

Glad that the ink seems to be okay. With that much musty smell, I'd have been worried about potential SitB.

[Dickkooty2]

Just finished watching the Oscars. The Gravity of your question hit me immediately.

 

Herewith my report as I test three Diamine colors in real time:

 

Sapphire Blue - smalls like some kind of solvent but only with my nose in the bottle. Not unpleasant. just like a mild solvent.

 

Green/Black - just a very mild smell like ink and only with my nose in the bottle.

 

Ultra Green - no smell at all, and my nose is in the bottle.

 

No problems for me except a nose that now appears to have been belonged to someone being questioned about Carl LaFong .

 

http://s271.photobucket.com/user/dick168/media/hqdefault_zps7c74405a.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0..

 

"Thats Capital L, small a, Capital F, small o, small n, small g …" from It's a Gift

 

 

It must be the exposure to the movies … for those under 60 and/or not US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._C._Fields

Edited March 3, 2014 by Dickkooty2